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Nationals (Episode)
This page is about the episode called Nationals. For the competition, see Nationals (Competition). Nationals is the twenty-first episode of the third season and the sixty-fifth overall. This episode aired on May 15th, 2012, right after the previous episode, Props aired. Filming for this episode began on April 17th, 2012. The episode was written by Ali Adler. and directed by Eric Stoltz. Plot In Chicago for nationals, Will is distressed to find Sue and the Glee girls tending to an ailing Mercedes, who has a nasty case of food poisoning. Sue overreacts with healthcare tough-love, but at least she shows a continued dedication to the show choir's nationals bid. Meanwhile, Will drafts Tina and a nervous, reluctant Quinn to sub for Mercedes in the Troubletones number. Emma finds Will sitting outside their hotel room, fretting about the prospect of losing the competition. He worries that the New Directions never get to score their biggest victories, and he imagines what just one major win could do for their confidence and pride throughout their lives. Then coach Shannon Beiste calls them down to manage a new crisis: Will and Emma discover the students in the midst of chaotic bickering, with Sam and Puck about to come to blows because Puck's studying for his crucial geography exam rather than focusing on mastering the choreography. Everyone seems to be in the midst of a meltdown after relentless rehearsing, but Santana calls for an end to the "we can't win without Mercedes" whining, demanding that they embrace reality and give it everything they've got. She's afraid Will's going to scold her for yelling at her friends, but Will's actually impressed at the amount of passion he sees in all of them. Quinn says she was going to be dancing for nationals, but she was worried about dancing Edge of Glory. Will knows that they really want this, and though he offers them a break, they decide to keep practicing. Artie helps Puck practice for his Geography Exam retake, while the girls rehearse Edge of Glory. Quinn has some trouble dancing and trips, and Will makes sure she's okay, and they continue to practice. Rachel runs into Jesse outside the hall, who taunts her by somehow knowing that she's scanning the arriving crowd for NYADA's Carmen Tibideaux in hopes that she'll get a second shot at getting into the arts college. As he tries to get under her skin, she points out that they dated long enough to know that when Jesse gets nervous he gets mean. He relents and admits that Vocal Adrenaline's loss at last year's Nationals broke their eight-year winning streak. Another loss would mean the end of the school's show choir dynasty and spark a reboot of the program. He's struggling with the new rules, but Rachel reminds him that his past performances (Bohemian Rhapsody) set the gold standard for show choirs for years. Rachel's words ease Jesse's nerves. When Finn arrives, she walks away, and he and Jesse share a tense moment until Jesse ultimately congratulates Finn on his engagement to Rachel, resulting in the two shaking hands. Backstage, Finn reveals to Rachel that he's bought a glass mug from Chicago for them to smash during the Jewish portion of their wedding ceremony - he wants it to symbolize the city where everything changed and New Directions went from losers to winners. Finn also made a $500 bet with hockey jock Rick "The Stick" Nelson that New Directions would win nationals - money they'd saved for their honeymoon. Rachel's worried they'll lose it all, but Finn is confident he'll double their money. And he says that Carmen Tibideaux will show up, then they'll get married, smash the glass, and live happily ever after. When Will goes backstage to provide a final pep talk, he's taken aback when Finn speaks on behalf of all the students, telling Will they want to win the nationals for him. Finn says that while Principal Figgins awards a Teacher of the Year honor, they consider Will to be their Teacher of a Lifetime. Mercedes makes a surprise arrival, healthy and ready to perform, thanks to Sue's intense regimen. Quinn's relieved that she won't have to dance; she's still feeling nervous since getting back on her feet. But Mercedes insists that because it's their last time sharing the stage together, she wants Quinn and Tina performing alongside her. As he settles into the audience with Emma, Sue, and coach Beiste, Will worries about the odds stacked against the glee club. They have the first slot in the competition - the "death slot" - Mercedes is still feverish, Quinn's dancing is still shaky and Carmen Tibideaux remains nowhere to be seen. The judging lineup is an eclectic assembly: actress Lindsay Lohan, gossip blogger Perez Hilton, and Chicago assemblyman Martin Fong. New Directions opens the competition with Lady Gaga's E''dge of Glory'', with Santana initially taking center stage. Then Mercedes, Quinn, and Tina each take a turn in the spotlight. The audience's enthusiastic reception doesn't help Rachel from noticing that Tibideaux's seat remains empty. Finn tries to rally her spirits. No matter what, he says, this is her moment, three years in the making, and she should embrace it. As the crowd noise fades out in her ears, Rachel takes center stage for her solo, belting out a powerful rendition of Celine Dion's It's All Coming Back To Me Now. The crowd is spellbound, and Rachel spots Tibideaux taking her seat in the audience halfway through the performance. Emboldened, she finishes strong with a smile on a face and the crowd in a frenzy. Next up, New Directions delivers Meat Loaf's Paradise By The Dashboard Light featuring a variety of members in solos. The performance is dazzling, and the audience explodes with applause - even Carmen Tibideaux can't resist rising to her feet and whistling in appreciation. Kurt and Mercedes then head to the dressing room of Vocal Adrenaline's Wade Adams, hoping to deliver a white rose to his drag alter ego Unique. They find Wade in a frazzled state, unable to summon up his brash, confident identity. He's feeling too much pressure to perform as Unique. It's not the same as when he was just trying to be who he is inside - now, he tells them, he feels like "the poster child for anyone who's different, and I just can't handle it." They give him the rose and remind him that a real star will be able to push through the nerves and insecurity. Wade wonders if they are supposed to be enemies, but Kurt tells him that's not really New Directions' style. As they leave, Wade suggests that Unique may transfer schools next year, making them turn in surprise. Unique takes the stage at the center of Vocal Adrenaline, delivering Nicki Minaj's Starships with charm and attitude. Even the New Directions students are stunned by the performance, as Unique segues into the Who's Pinball Wizard from the rock opera "Tommy" and continues to knock out the audience. In the judges' conference room, Assemblyman Fong rambles on about how much of a show choir junkie he is, while Lindsay Lohan is irritated with Perez Hilton for blogging about her during the performances. Perez challenges Lindsay's love of show choir, but Fong reminds him that she was a 12-time Teen Choice nominee. Lindsay agrees that she knows what it's like to chase a dream, and she wants to support the students. The judges begin trying to narrow down the contenders, with Perez impressed by the Portland Scale Blazers' "haunting medley homage to 'Starlight Express'" - on roller skates, even. Fong was taken by New Directions' energy, though he remembers them choking in New York the previous year. Lindsay doesn't think New Directions were the best singers and dancers - but she found them likable and favors a team on the brink of a major comeback. However, Perez hated them - he's for Vocal Adrenaline and believes Unique is a star - "like Tina and Ike Turner together." He wants to send a message to the outcast kids watching - though Fong points out that nationals isn't televised, prompting a surprised Lindsay, in "full image rehab mode," to want to fire her manager (a detail Perez instantly posts). With time ticking away, they decide to cast their final votes. Jesse stops Carmen in the lobby, reminding her that when he auditioned for her a few years ago, she told him he showed promise. She acknowledges that she probably did say that, but adds that she auditions hundreds each year and attempts to blow off what she thinks is going to be a professional appeal. Jesse insists she listen: he wants to tell her that Rachel is the most talented person he knows, she'll definitely be a star one day, and she'd be an excellent addition to NYADA. Tibideaux responds by recalling Jessie's audition with "Giants in the Sky," a flawed but passionate and admirable attempt at what may be Steven Sondheim's most challenging song. She wishes him good luck. The judges present the individual MVP award, which goes to Wade/Unique. Third place goes to the Portland Scale Blazers, leaving New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline to vie for the top prize. Then the winner is named, and New Directions takes home the trophy. As the show choir returns to McKinley carrying the nationals trophy, they enter the hallways and find themselves surrounded by indifferent-looking fellow students. The hockey goons march toward them, slushie cups in their hands. The glee kids brace to be slushied, but instead the cups shower them with confetti. New Directions is then given a heroes welcome, with everyone suddenly finding themselves to be the most popular students in school. Students line the halls to congratulate them on their acheivement, with GROUPLOVE's Tongue' Tied playing in the background, and all seems perfect in their world: they made the front page of the Lima News, the school receives the $10,000 prize money, Sue usurpes Roz Washington and regains her Cheerios, Emma shows Will that she's finally ready to get physically intimate, Finn collects his $1000 from Rick "the Stick", Rachel signs her first autograph, and the trophy is placed in the display case for everyone to see. Principal Figgins calls Finn and Rachel to his office, where for their role as co-captains of the glee club he gifts them with McKinley bumper stickers and mini-pompons, as well as cash ($5) to help celebrate their impending wedding. He also tells them that the school will be hosting a very special event, and he wants New Directions to perform. When asked what the event is, Figgins grins and asks "Can you keep a secret?" As Emma tenderly helps Will dress for the McKinley event, Will thanks her - not just for their first night of passion, but for standing by him throughout the long road to nationals. They're interrupted by a top hat-sporting, formal black track-suited Sue. As they enter the school, Sue tells them that according to her source - Becky Jackson hiding inside a fake filing cabinet she installed in Figgins' office - Sue is once again the likely shoo-in for Teacher of the Year, for helping New Directions win nationals, fending off Roz Washington, and regaining control of the Cheerios, all while never missing a day of work while being pregnant "for an indeterminate number of months." Will gives Sue the credit he feels she deserves, and she gladly soaks up the praise. At the ceremony Figgins introduces "the so-called 'Finchel,'" and Rachel and Finn take the stage to announce the winner of the 2012 Teacher of the Year Award... is Will. In the audience, Will is overwhelmed as everyone cheers him and Sue turns around to congratulate him, seemingly having known the truth. Before Will takes the stage, Finn wants to make a speech. He recalls how three years ago he thought he had everything, until he met Will and realized all that he was missing. He praises Will for teaching his students how to dream, adding, "As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing more important than that." Rachel tells Will that she's headed to New York "come hell or high water, and I can honestly say I couldn't have done it without you." New Directions performs Queen's We Are The Champions as they pull Will onto the stage, who tearfully thanks every member of the group before being presented with the Teacher of the Year Award as the crowd give him a very much deserved standing ovation. Songs *'Edge of Glory' by Lady Gaga. Sung by The Troubletones, Tina and Quinn *'It's All Coming Back To Me Now' by Celine Dion. Sung by Rachel with New Directions. *'Paradise By The Dashboard Light' by Meatloaf. Sung by New Directions. *'Starships' by Nicki Minaj. Sung by Wade/Unique with Vocal Adrenaline. *'Pinball Wizard' by The Who. Sung by Wade/Unique with Vocal Adrenaline. *'Starlight Express' by Starlight Express. Sung by The Portland Scale Blazers. (unreleased) *'Tongue Tied' by GROUPLOVE. Sung by New Directions. *'We Are The Champions' by Queen. Sung by New Directions. Trivia *This episode aired right after Props, making it the first time two episodes have aired on the same day and the shortest time gap between two episodes. *Lindsay Lohan, Perez Hilton and Rex Lee appeared in this episode as the celebrity judges. This is the second competition to feature celebrities as judges. The first was in Journey. *This episode contained their 400th musical number. Source The 400th musical number is Paradise By The Dashboard Light. *This is the second time an episode has been named after a competition level, the first being Sectionals in season 1. Furthermore, Regionals is the only competition yet to have an episode named after it. In season 1, it was entitled Journey (although it's alternate name is "Journey to Regionals" ), in season two, Original Song and in season 3, it was entitled On My Way. *When Unique wins MVP they announce him as Wade "Unique" Adams. *They filmed two versions of the winning scene. VA win was filmed first but ND got confetti and VA didn’t. *First episode where more than one song from Vocal Adrenaline is shown in one episode. *Second Time someone reassures/or cheers on a member of Vocal Adrenaline when they perform. First was Rachel reassuring Sunshine during As Long As You're There in the episode New York and now in this episode, Nationals (Episode), Kurt and Mercedes cheering on Wade at the beginning of Starships. Coincidentally they both set out, initially, to destroy the person they would later help - and they would then go on to become the star of Vocal Adrenaline as a result. However, Rachel tried to destroy Sunshine because she was jealous while Kurt and Mercedes were forced to do what they did by Sue. *Second time VA wears blue in a competition. Interestingly, they wore blue both times at Nationals. *It's hinted by a line that Unique will be transferring to McKinley next season. *During this episode, a few new things were introduced, specifically awards that are mentioned to be given out every year but has been only seen in this episode such as: #-Will's Teacher of the Year award that Finn mentioned before their performance at Nationals. He said Figgins gives it out every year, but this is the first time it's heard and seen on Glee. #-Rachel mentioned a Nationals MVP award given out every year but was awarded to Wade "Unique" Adams. *First time New Directions performs first in a competition. *Third time someone who is least expected (or expected not to) came to watch, which made a member of the New Directions happy. First was Quinn's mother in Journey, second was Mike's father in Hold on to Sixteen, and now Carmen. *The scene during Tongue Tied that showed the girl asking Rachel to sign her yearbook possibly foreshadows a new character that will join New Directions next season. *The yearbook that Rachel signed at the end is available in published form in bookstores everywhere. *In theory three female performers from New Directions should have had impaired singing and/or dancing abilities, but this didn't happen. Mercedes was still ill with food poisoning - it had just been repressed by Sue's remedies - Tina suffered a concussion in the previous episode - just days before Nationals - and Quinn had just learnt to walk again after having been hit by a truck in On My Way. *The photo of Will on his award plaque is the yearbook photo seen in Mattress *Nationals in the 18-49 demographic recieved a 2.5/7 with 6.03 million views Source which makes it the least watched competition throughout the three seasons *Fifth time Glee has done a Queen song. *The songs from this episode and Props concluded First Listen Fridays for season 3. Errors *At the beginning of Paradise By The Dashboard Light ''we can see Quinn running to the left side, but then she suddenly dissappears. *Jenna Ushkowitz's left shoulder blade tattoo can be seen multiple times during the ''We Are The Champions performance. *During the scene with the Unholy Trinity, as Santana walks away you can hear one of them say " I love you guys" or something similar to it. However, none of their lips were actually moving. *During the performance of ''Paradise By The Dashboard Light '', Mercedes should be behind Brittany position when they both turning back of a stage. but then Mercedes suddenly dissappears and all we can see Santana running back behind Brittany. After that, Mercedes reappeared along with Santana and Brittany sitting at the stairs. *During ''Paradise By The Dashboard Light , when ''Santana, Brittany, and Mercedes go to lie down on the stairs, Brittany's hand is holding Santana's head but in the next shot it isn't. *At the opening of Edge of Glory when the camera is in front of the three girls , the one on the left has her hair tied but next she doesn't , the other one has her hair tied and her skin is white but then her hair isn't anymore and her skin is black. *Durind Starships , Wade/Unique with Vocal Adrenaline raise their hands but next suddenly his/her hands aren't. Guest Cast Special Guest Stars: *Whoopi Goldberg as Carmen Tibideaux *Jonathan Groff as Jesse St. James *Rex Lee as Alderman Martin Fong *Lindsay Lohan as Herself *Perez Hilton as Himself Guest Starring: *Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins *Dot-Marie Jones as Shannon Beiste *Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans *NeNe Leakes as Coach Roz Washington *Alex Newell as Wade Adams/Unique *Damian McGinty as Rory Flanagan *Samuel Larsen as Joe Hart *Vanessa Lengies as Sugar Motta *Lauren Potter as Becky Jackson *Mary Gillis as Mrs. Hagberg Co-Starring: *Rock Anthony as Rick "The Stick" Nelson Videos Navigational Category:Episodes Category:Season Three Episodes